Presently, analysis and quantification of biological substances such as sugars, proteins, and nucleic acids is being performed daily in a wide range of fields, such as clinical examinations, food inspection, and environmental inspections. There are various types of biological substance analysis and quantification methods according to the types of biological substances which are the targets of analysis and quantification. Some of these methods utilize reactions between biological substances and substances that have affinities for the biological substances. For example, quantification methods that utilize antigen antibody reactions are established as highly sensitive and reliable immunoassay methods, and are commonly used in a wide range of fields such as clinical examinations. However, if commercially available reagent kids are employed, each of the multitude of reactions take time, and expedient tests are difficult when there are great amounts of samples. This is because the kinetic energy at a specific temperature controls the reaction speed by the frequency at which molecules collide with each other.
For example, in antigen antibody reactions in which one of the antigens and the antibodies are immobilized, the molecular collision frequency becomes extremely low, and the reaction speed also decreases correspondingly. Use of ultrasonic waves during reactions in order to increase reaction speeds has been described in Patent Documents 1 through 3, as a solution to resolve this issue. In the methods disclosed in these documents, it is considered that the ultrasonic waves operate on the antigens or the antibodies which are not immobilized, to increase the collision frequency thereof with respect to the immobilized antibodies or antigens, to promote binding reactions.
PCT Japanese Publication No. 6(1994)-054315 and Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 10(1998)-267927 disclose inventions in which molecular vibrations are caused by ultrasonic waves to increase collision rates thereof with surrounding substances, thereby increasing reaction speeds. Further, the invention of Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 10(1998)-267927 is characterized by modulating the frequency of the ultrasonic waves to disrupt the state of vibration, to cause translational movement over a wider range. U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 20090169428 discloses a method for detecting biological substances using flow channels, in which ultrasonic standing waves are generated within flow channels such that the nodes thereof are positioned at a detecting surface, to concentrate particles within the flow channels at the positions of the nodes of the standing waves.